The Bigsibling Blog

Will Pope have right to remain silent? As you know, Muslims from all over the world are violently angered that Pope Benedict quoted an old emporer who said that the only thing Mohammed brought was inhuman and evil. The peace-loving, tolerant and rational Muslims, while not burning and shooting at churches, are busy being hurt and offended by Il Papa’s suggestiong that Islam is portrayed as a violent irrational religion. It is beyond me how anyone could see these people as “irrational”.

Employees of the state body that organizes Muslim worship in Turkey asked the authorities on Tuesday to open legal proceedings against Pope Benedict and to arrest him when he visits the country in November.
source

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The Pope is getting grief for speaking what many see as the truth about Islam. For those living in complete darkness, here is what Il Papa had to say in a speech in Germany:

The Pope’s speech quoted from a book recounting a conversation between 14th century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and an educated Persian on the truths of Christianity and Islam. “The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war,” the Pope said. “He said, I quote, ‘Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached’.”
(source)

Of course, the muslims around the globe are criticizing the beloved pontiff. Such as the spiritual leader of Lebanon’s Sunnis, the Grand Mufti Sheik Mohammed Rashid Kabbani:

“Reason is the substance of Islam and its teachings … Islam prohibited violence in human life. Anyone who wants the truth (about Islam) must take it from Islam’s holy book, the Koran, rather than from a dialogue or excerpts,”
(source)

But it is oft said that actions speak louder than words. For instance:

“Anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence,” (Pakistan’s )Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said.
(source)

“We want to make it clear that if the pope does not appear on TV and apologize for his comments, we will blow up all of Gaza’s churches,” the group (The Sword of Islam) said in a statement.
(source)

In Gaza City, militants opened fire from a car at a Greek Orthodox church, striking the facade. A policeman at the scene said he saw a Mitsubishi escape with armed men inside. Explosive devices were set off at the same Gaza church on Friday, causing minor damage.
(source)

…four masked gunmen doused the main doors of Nablus’ Roman and Greek Catholic churches with lighter fluid, then set them afire. They also opened fire on the buildings, striking both with bullets.
(source)

Firebombings left black scorch marks on the walls and windows of Nablus’ Anglican and Greek Orthodox churches. At least five firebombs hit the Anglican church and its door was later set ablaze. Smoke billowed from the church as firefighters put out the flames.
(source)

And so it goes with the people who claim to subscribe to a religion of peace and tolerance. It does seem that the Indians (from India, not the Injuns from America) have it right:

In India, Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, who is president of the Indian Catholic Bishops Conference, said the Christian community in that country must face Muslim protests over the pope’s speech “with Christian courage and prayer because truth needs no other defense,”.
(source)

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